It’s actually possible to make money playing video games in 2019! Not all of the options are going to make you rich, but some certainly have potential as money makers. Here are the top 11 ways that you can make money playing video games like Fortnite in 2019.
Disclaimer; I believe in transparency and want to disclose this page has links to products that I may earn an affiliate commission for purchases you make. The reader pays nothing.
DO THIS FIRST: Play Games. Make Money.
Before we continue with the list, did you know you can play games online and actually make money by doing so? Swagbucks will pay you to play and it’s completely free to get started.
In fact, they’ll give you $5.00 just for signing up. They’ve paid out $136 MILLION dollars so far and you can get in on that action just by creating a free account here.
1. Game Testing
Becoming a games tester actually isn’t that hard, most large game studios have openings for games testers.
The position isn’t glamorous though, in fact it’s often quite the opposite. Games testers generally don’t earn that much money, which wouldn’t be an issue if the job was amazing.
It can get quite boring playing the same section of a game over and over all day.
That being said, you’re still getting paid to play!
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2. Creating Game Guides and Walkthroughs
This option is perfect if you know a game inside and out. While some gamers look down upon guides and walkthroughs as basically cheating, a lot of people love them!
With a little bit of time and patience, and a good amount of knowledge you can easily create an e-book that could sell for $15 or more.
Create a blog to gain traffic and create a business selling your e-book.
7 tips to create a successful blog here.
Best options are places like Amazon, or better yet a targeted site like Killer Guides
Both will take a part of the sale price, but they do open you up to a much larger market.
InboxDollars is the mobile and online loyalty club that pays cash!
Members have earned over $30 million in cash since 2006.
InboxDollars earn cash with the official InboxDollars mobile app.
In the current version of InboxDollars mobile app, members can earn cash for:
- – Searching the web
- – Reading email
- – Taking surveys
- – Downloading apps
- – Purchasing Groupons
Sign up for Inbox Dollars: Here
3. Showcasing Your “Let’s Play” Videos
With the rise of streaming sites in general, more and more people are watching other people play games.
This could be turned into a gold mine by streaming or posting your game play. Literally, a gold mine. Twitch’s top streamers earn over half a million dollars per month.
For example, popular Twitch streamer Ninja (real name: Tyler Blevins) revealed earlier this year that he earns around $500,000 per month from Twitch Prime subscriptions, sponsorships, and partnerships, as well as YouTube revenues from his 5 million subscribers.
4. eSports Tournaments
Nineteen-year-old Austin Etue silently stared at his computer in disbelief.
He’d just won $250,000 playing a video game.
Before Sept. 3, almost no one in the gaming world had even heard of Etue — he had less than 10 followers on Amazon-owned gamer streaming platform Twitch and was playing against big names like FaZe Clan’s “Tfue,” who has over 3.5 million Twitch followers.
But there he was: He had just defeated 99 of the world’s top gamers in the final round of the Summer Skirmish, a tournament for Fortnite, the massively popular multi-player online survival game.
Fortnite developer Epic Games put up a total of $1.5 million for the final stage of the competition, and Etue had finished first and was taking home the biggest chunk of that tantalizing prize pool.
If you want to become famous in the community while bagging some serious and legitimate cash, then eSports are the way forward.
5. Write or Record Reviews and Opinions
For most video game players, writing reviews and opinions appeals to many.
The great thing about it is that you can choose what games to review and talk about, unlike being a games tester.
8. Ask for Donations
As soon as you sign up to stream (it’s free), you can add a donation button to your channel, which allows viewers to throw cash your way.
Donations can be anything from $1 to even thousands of dollars in one fell swoop. While the latter case isn’t the norm, some Twitch streamers have received large donations on their channels.
The best part about donations is that you don’t have to pay for a Twitch subscription or have a set number of followers to qualify. Anyone can add a donation button to their channel, and strangers who enjoy watching can toss you a few bucks.
9. Sell Your Characters
In MMO’s, building up characters is a large part of the game. Kitting them out in end game gear takes time, effort and a skill.
What then do you do if you get bored of the game or just want to make some cash?
Sell your character of course!
Depending on the game this is likely to be forbidden by the games terms, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still do it.
Places such as Player Auctions allow you to offload your account for a profit.
Don’t be dismayed though if it backfires on you or if you only get a paltry fee, people only pay for the best of the best when they are gaming the system (pun intended!).
10. Collect “Bits”
In October 2016, Twitch announced a tipping system called “Cheering,” through which viewers can gift their favorite streamers online currency called Bits.
Viewers can earn 5 to 100 Bits (100 Bits are worth $1.40) by watching 30-second ads. They can also purchase Bits outright via the Amazon payment system.
When a viewer likes something you did in your game, they can type “cheerxx” into the chat bar on your channel, where “xx” is the number of Bits they want to gift.
For example, if someone types “cheer1000,” you’ll receive 1,000 Bits, which are worth $10.
11. Farming Gold and Items
If games’ testing isn’t for you, you could always try your hand at farming in game currencies and equipment.
Most games, such as World of Warcraft (WoW) actively ban this sort of practice, but some games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CO:GO) actively allow and promote this.
Depending on the game and the virtual product, earnings have the potential to be quite good.
The downside though is the amount of time that is needed to spend farming the stuff in the first place, especially for things like gold where you need a lot of it to earn a small amount of money.
WoW gold currently sells for pennies per 1,000 gold which means you would need to farm 300,000 gold to maybe make $100. Maybe…
Items might be more profitable, often one item can sell for $5 – $20 or more, but getting the drops worth selling takes time and patience. The Steam marketplace makes this sort of item sale very easy indeed.
Games such as Diablo 3 made it even easier by having the real life auction system built in.
It’s certainly going to help you retire at 30, but you could make cash on the side from it.
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Bonus: Collect Subscribers
Leveling up requires a bit more work, but it packs a bigger payoff. Once you’ve amassed a steady following — at least 500 regular viewers — you can apply to be a Twitch Partner at no cost. Becoming a partner is key to earning more revenue on Twitch.
One of its benefits is the illustrious “Subscribe” button. Subscribers are people who really like you and want you to succeed. For each subscriber you gain, Twitch will pay you about $2.50 per month.
You don’t even have to be the best at the games you stream. If you are entertaining and market yourself on social media, you can gain valuable ground in the streaming world.
Try setting up a YouTube account where potential followers can get to know you before they commit to subscribing to your channel. Posting highlight reels from your streams will entice them to visit your channel on Twitch. Think of it as investing in a trailer so people will want to watch the whole film.
The most successful Twitch streamers interact with their viewers, display their gratitude for donations and are expressive. Humor and quirkiness will set you apart from the crowd.
Bonus: Earn Ad Revenue
Nobody likes ads, but they do make the World Wide Web go ‘round.
If you’ve registered as a Twitch Partner and started gaining subscribers, you’ll also start earning ad revenue. Your channel will bring in about $250 per 100 subscribers per month.
How to Get Started on Twitch
1. Sign up with a username, password, email and your birthday, or by connecting your Facebook account. You’ll need to be at least 13 years old.
2. Download Twitch-compatible broadcasting software, if you’re using a PC or laptop.
To stream from a PC or laptop, click the “Stream Key” link on your Twitch dashboard to get your personalized key. Copy and paste this key into your broadcast software.
If you’re streaming from a PS4, click here. From an Xbox One, follow these instructions.
3. If you want other people to see you while you play, you’ll need to invest in video capture equipment. If you want them to hear you, you’ll need a microphone.
4. Set up a PayPal account to collect the money you earn from streaming.
5. If you have Amazon Prime, connect your Twitch account.
Twitch is owned by Amazon, and the retail giant recently dropped the news that if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you get Twitch Prime for free.
Twitch Prime offers free in-game loot, game discounts, zero ads, and more bonuses you’d normally have to pay for.
